Cabin Fever
by TheEpicness239
Summary: How I would like next week's scenes to go down. ElijahxHayley


_**A/N: Because of this last episode, this couple has forced me to write something because it's going to be a long two weeks till the next episode. If this doesn't make any sense, it's okay because it's almost impossible to be coherent when thinking about these two. Enjoy!**_

* * *

"_Forgive me."_

Hayley doesn't say a word, instead wipes the damp rag she found in one of the drawers across his slick forehead. His breath was ragged and every few seconds or so his body would shake. The worst thing about this situation was that he couldn't die from the bite, but she couldn't do anything to ease his pain.

"Hayley you-"

Her fingers thread through his damp hair and he stops short of what he was going to say, momentarily stunned. Their emotions were running high in this hotbox, his particularly.

"You should stay quiet and preserve your strength. Remember, you're my ride home."

He chuckles, but coughs instead and Hayley immediately feels bad for cracking a joke.

"I'm going to keep looking for something to help us. Keep this on your forehead."

She sits him up and promptly lays him back down once she's out of the way. Running a hand through her hair, Hayley tears through the small cabin, or more like a shed. She has no idea what she's looking for, and that's what scares her the most.

She can feel his eyes on her the entire time, only adding to the immense pressure. She can hear his labored breathing as if he was breathing in her ear. Sighing, Hayley turns around to check on him.

He seems to have gotten paler in the past five minutes or so. Taking the washcloth away, she wrings it out and puts it back in the washbasin.

She watches him for a moment, and notices how he's clenching the bedsheet in his hands. Turning back around, not able to look at him because of the fear of failing him is too much to bear.

After everything he's done for her, she's going to fail him because of his stupid brother. And it wasn't about the saving part either. He listened to her vent about her fears of being a good mother. He assured her that she has a place in a family, something she's never had. He's taken care of her in more ways than one.

Grabbing the cool washcloth, she sits down on the bed and places it back on his forehead. Her nerves are frantic and her mind's going through a thousand different scenarios of how this night could go, but ending with the same conclusion.

"Hayley…you have to leave me here."

She shakes her head as she wipes his forehead.

"I'm staying."

He falls silent once more, maybe because he disagrees or maybe because he's incapable of saying anything more. She watches him, feeling overwhelmed because he's in physical pain and she's rendered helpless on the sidelines.

"I don't want…I-I don't want you to see me like this."

"I've seen worse."

This time he laughs and doesn't cough. She smiles at the thought of making him laugh. It's such a melodic sound, one that isn't heard often from the proper, kind, handsome, elegant vampire sitting in the bed beside her.

"There has got to be something we can do."

She stands up, pulling at her hair in frustration and starts to rub her belly.

"Is the baby okay?"

Hayley looks at him, the concern pouring through his words. She gives him a small smile and nods her head.

"She's just had a little excitement today, that's all."

She sees the barely perceptible smile and nod of his head as he closes his eyes. They're both quiet for a few minutes, the only sound coming from the werewolf-bitten bed-ridden original vampire.

"And the mother?"

His voice is lower this time, hesitant in asking but desperate in knowing the answer. She wants to allays his fears, knowing that it's the only thing she can do right now.

"You're always asking me if I'm okay."

Elijah opens his eyes again after another bout of coughing and struggling to breathe.

"Because I want to know. You're in my protection, remember?"

Hayley turns away, not wanting him to see the elation on her face at his words.

"Hayley, if this gets any worse…I want you to leave. For the baby's sake. Please."

She sits back down beside him, taking one of his shaking hands in hers.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not going anywhere."

Elijah sighs.

"At least one more. I…I don't want to hurt you or the baby."

Hayley shakes her head and squeezes his hand.

"I know you won't."

Elijah strains to sit up so he can look her in the eyes.

"How do you?"

Hayley shrugs her shoulders, looking down at their joined hands.

"Because I trust you."

She misses the way his mouth opens slightly. She misses the way his eyes light up through the hazed fever. He knows that she doesn't trust easily, hell even at all.

They sit in more silence, neither one knowing what to say next. Hayley watches Elijah fight through his fever, knowing that it was going to get worse.

Standing up again to search the cabin for the umpteenth time, she is pulled back down on the bed by Elijah's unrelenting grip on her wrist.

"Elijah?"

His eyes open, bloodshot and he sits up in bed.

"Get away."

He moves away from her, his hand thrust down to his side as if the mere touch of her skin burned him.

"Elijah, what's wrong? What's happening?"

He shakes his head, murmuring something incoherent as he looks around the cabin in a craze. His frantic eyes finally fall on her nervous ones.

"Get out."

"Elijah, please say-"

"GET OUT!"

She moves away from the bed and towards a lone table.

"Hallucinations."

Hayley says this more to herself than to him. He gets out of bed and moves to the opposite wall, muttering something incorrigible.

"Elijah, it's going to-"

Suddenly he has her pinned up against the wall, one hand effectively pressing her wrist to the wall while the other is around her stomach. Even through his hallucinations, he's still being gentle with her.

She looks into his bloodshot eyes, struggling to find the man beneath them. Their entire bodies are touching, and she's desperately trying to ignore the rush of adrenaline she's feeling at his touch.

"Elijah, I know you're in there. And I know you can fight this."

"You know nothing, Katarina."

He spits out the other woman's name in disgust. Hayley watches as he slowly moves closer to her, lips about to brush hers when he suddenly flings himself back to the bed.

She fights to get her breath back as she watches Elijah writhe in the bed. He groans in pain, and rolls in the bed. He leans over it and starts to cough up blood.

Rushing to his side, Hayley props him on his side and runs a hand through his hair.

His blood stains the hardwood floors when it finally hits her.

"I am such an idiot."

Setting back against the pillows, Hayley races around the room trying to find what she was looking for.

"Gotcha."

She picks up the small needle Tyler had discarded earlier. Rushing back to Elijah's side, she lifts up her shirt around her stomach. She raises the needle, taking a deep breath for the pain she was about to experience.

She feels his fingers wrap around her extended hand. Hayley looks over at him, seeing that the real Elijah was struggling to fight the fever.

"Hayley, don't."

"It's the only way."

His eyes close again and don't open. Hayley moves closer to him, struggling to find a pulse. After searching for a minute, it's there but barely beating.

Straightening, Hayley takes another breath, not daring to look to see if Elijah was still conscious.

Plunging the needle into her stomach, fighting back the tears and screams, Hayley slowly draws the blood out of her unborn baby.

Waiting for the needle to fill up halfway, Hayley pulls it out. Moving Elijah's head to the side, she sticks the needle into his neck. Watching the blood flow from the needle and into his bloodstream, Hayley doesn't breathe.

Pulling the needle out, Hayley sets it aside.

"Elijah? Elijah, can you hear me? Elijah, please you need to wake up!"

Running a hand through his hair and down his face, Hayley begins to think it didn't work. Maybe it only works on a werewolf.

"Please, Elijah, please…I need you."

She holds his hand; not wanting to believe it didn't work.

"You could have hurt the baby."

Looking up from their hands, Hayley is elated to see Elijah's eyes open and clear of any bloodshot.

"You're okay?"

Elijah nods his head and she lets out a relieved shriek before pulling him into her arms. Holding her close, Elijah breathes in her scent as he wraps his arms around her trembling form.

"Why are you shaking?"

She pulls away from him and swats him on the shoulder.

"You're a jerk just for asking that when you already know the answer."

He holds her hand to his chest, while his other pulls a strand of loose hair behind her ear.

"I guess it was your turn to save me."

Hayley smiles and blushes.

"I'd say something about always protecting you, but then I'd be a walking cliché."

Elijah lets out a jovial laugh before pulling her back into his arms and breathing a sigh of relief.

They were going to be okay.

They were _all_ going to be okay.


End file.
